Question from a noob about shellholders

wesm
I've been using nothing but Lee since the 1970s and I have not had a problem with anything. I've never had a case pull out of a shell holder or get stuck in one. I just got my 4th Lee press, a loadmaster, and have loaded 9mm, 45ACP, 223 and 30-06 and it works fine. I'm With nonnieselman. Lee makes fine dies and the shell holder comes with them.
BLK RIFLE

The majority of my dies and shellholders are Lee and I've never had a problem with them. It's always possible to have a defective item with any brand.

PhillipM wrote:I think Lee sucks in that regard. Lee hand primers take their own special shell holder. A Lee shell holder for a press will not work.


Also be warned, keep buying parts for your old round Lee hand primers, the new square XR? is a POS. I guess to add safety by separating the primer being seated from the tray, the primer rides up an elevator shaft then slides back over the ram. It has to be held just so or the primer is flipped or on the floor!

Thanks for the info. I haven't looked at one of the new square ones. I do 99% of my priming on one of the round Lee hand primers.

I have reloaded for 19 years and never once used a hand primer. I used the arm on my RCBS and have a primer feed on my Dillon. Am I really missing anything?

PhillipM wrote:If I were starting from nothing I'd buy a Forster Co-Ax press. It is light years ahead of RCBS, Hornandy, Lee, et al. and uses NO shellholder.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/265719/forster-co-ax-single-stage-press?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Reloading+-+Metallic+Reloading+Presses-_-PriceCompListing-_-265719

I really like that Forster press ... that will be my next single stage press ...

I have used Lee, Lyman and RCBS shellholders in my Rockchucker press for over 25 years; all of them work well. I sometimes find a shellholder that is cut with tighter tolerances and you have to position or line up the case a little better but this has happened with all three manufacturers' shellholder. BTW, these tight tolerance shellholders have a better fit on the case rim and thus tend to have a better grip on the case. This can explain the stripped rims with one shellholder and no stripped rims with the other one. In either instance, good and complete lubing of the case has never left me searching for my stuck case remover.

I have used Lee Shellholders my entire Reloading career. No problems but that doesn't mean they are the best. Anything is subject to a Manufaturing defect. The next one I get might be bad. I bought it because I was like you, I couldn't see where 1 brand could be that much better than another. Like I said, you can find a bad Egg under any Hen.